


A Minor Flaw

by gtanddragons



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Giant/Tiny, Love Confessions, M/M, Macro/Micro, soft gay kissing(tm)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-01
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-10-04 19:10:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20476112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gtanddragons/pseuds/gtanddragons
Summary: AU; Takumi was born with a very... particular kind of curse.Specifically, every time he feels lovesick, he grows in height. It's been a closely-guarded secret since he was just a child, but it hasn't been an issue for many years... so, he's safe, right?Until that one, especially annoying Nohrian had barged his way into Takumi's life, because of course he had.





	A Minor Flaw

**Author's Note:**

> This was a really entertaining commission to write for @miniatureknight on Tumblr; they always come up with the most interesting prompts smh
> 
> If you'd like to see the art this talented mofo made for this fic, check it out here!: 
> 
> http://gtanddragons.tumblr.com/post/170563496029/miniature-knight-recently-commissioned

Takumi has never known what to name The Thing.

When he had been a young child, the adults had called it a curse.

His mother had told him not to listen to them. Sure, The Thing was an inconvenience, but it wasn’t… debilitating.

For now.

The other children- behind his back, of course, since everyone knew not to insult a member of the royal family- had whispered that Takumi and The Thing alike were both freaks of nature.

When he’d been a teenager, he himself had called it an utter nightmare, and the name stuck for a good many years until young adulthood…

And then he had met Prince Leo of Nohr.

Granted, The Thing hadn’t reared its ugly head for a long while when it came to Leo. Being at war and perhaps having some slight prejudices against Nohrians had been good enough excuses for The Thing to stay away.

And then Leo- damn him- had had the gall to, well.

Be attractive.

And smart.

And funny.

And share almost all of Takumi’s interests.

The war suddenly was no longer an excuse, considering the fact that it had been initiated by a corrupted dragon and an army of invisible soldiers, and ended by his sibling, Corrin.

His own prejudices had been a little harder to conquer, but it had quickly become apparent that, perhaps, not all Nohrians were the human scum of the world.

And then, of course, The Thing had taken that as an invitation to make a fully unwarranted return.

\---

_ Oh, gods, think about something else- ah-! _

Takumi, in a panic, darts around the corner of the Hoshidan palace, a good few inches taller than usual. 

“Takumi?” a familiar voice calls out, further quickening the Hoshidan prince’s pulse. “Damn, I could have sworn I’d seen him a minute ago…”

_ Okay, um. Politics. The current economic troubles we’re facing after that hellish war. Uh… suitors coming after Sakura. _

An involuntary scowl crosses his face, but it quickly turns into a grin as he shrinks back down to his usual height. Takumi slumps against the wall and breathes a sigh of relief.

“Ah, there you are-”

And, with a sudden jolt, Takumi shoots up in height- now a full foot taller than before. His head whips to the side, his horrified gaze settling on a very startled- and very confused- Leo.

For a moment, the two stare at each other in dead silence. As Takumi is about to open his mouth to stutter out some kind of explanation, Leo gives the taller prince a small, coy smirk, though his eyes are still filled to the brim with curiosity. “I presume this is why you’ve been avoiding me recently, then?”

Takumi swallows thickly, his mouth dry. “I. Well. Yes?”

Leo nods, accepting the answer, before stepping closer and whistling, raising an eyebrow. “What kind of magic did this?”

Takumi hisses between his teeth before awkwardly glancing to the side, unable to meet Leo’s questioning amber eyes, those beautiful amber eyes that can so easily melt him into a helpless puddle-

Takumi lets out a startled squeak as he shoots up another foot. He quickly claps his hands over his face and moans in embarrassment, his cheeks warming. “Oh gods damn it all-” He mutters under his breath, his shoulders hunching up defensively.

Leo steps back in surprise, only able to manage a soft ‘oh’ as he tilts his head to look up at the Hoshidan prince. “...I… Good gods, what happened to you?”

Takumi, still hiding his face, lets out a quiet groan. “It. It happens, sometimes…”

Leo’s brows dart up immediately. “Wait, this just…  _ happens _ ?”

“Sometimes, yeah.” Takumi takes a long, slow exhale, pinching the bridge of his nose between his forefinger and thumb. “It… Um. It’s… a curse. Long as I can remember, it just… happens, when I get. Uh. Emotional.”

Leo frowns, eyeing Takumi with a hint of confusion. “I’ve seen you plenty emotional before, but this,” he pauses, gesturing up at the taller prince for emphasis, “I haven’t seen this happen to you before.”

Takumi sharply bites his lip, staring up at the sky anxiously. “Yeah, you saw me when I was mad. It… doesn’t happen then, no. Um. Just… with specific, stronger emotions.”

Leo tilts his head slightly, squinting as he tries to piece it all together in his mind. “...So you got cursed to…  _ grow _ like that, when you’re… what, startled?”

Gnawing on his lower lip, Takumi gives a slow nod. 

_ Yeah. Yeah, that’ll work. He might buy that… _

“Something like that, yeah. Um. You’ll… have to forgive me for not admitting it to you sooner, but-”

“It’s not something you want a bunch of people to know about, right?” Leo finishes, looking at Takumi expectantly.

“I… yeah.” Takumi gives a small, weak shrug.

Leo pauses before stepping forward, a neutral expression on his face. “I won’t tell anyone if you don’t want me to.”

Takumi blinks, peering down at Leo in surprise. “You won’t?”

“You have my word.”

Takumi’s hands slip from his face, almost unsure of what to say. “I… I appreciate it. Thank you.”

Leo nods firmly before shooting a wry smirk up at Takumi. “Naturally. That’s what friends are for, yes?”

Takumi blinks, a flicker of disappointment touching upon his face for a mere instant, light as a feather, before it’s suddenly gone. He returns Leo’s smirk, ignoring the small, protesting pang coming from his chest. “Yes, of course.”

_ Friends. _

_ Yes. _

_ That’s all there is to it. _

“...Takumi?”

Shaken from his thoughts, he glances over at Leo- suddenly noting that the Nohrian prince is a little taller than himself once more. He must have shifted down when he’d been thinking to himself…

“Ah- sorry about that. I, uh. Was focusing on shrinking back down.”

“No need to apologize. That was… certainly very interesting, I must say.” Leo shoots Takumi a reassuring look. “I’ll have to do some research on that kind of magic… it’s not everyday that someone gets a curse, well. Like that one.”

Takumi barely restrains a dismayed frown from encroaching upon his face. “I- you are correct, it’s… a very uncommon condition.” There’s an awkward pause before he continues on. “...You were looking for me earlier, right?”

Leo blinks, noting the hint of discomfort about the shorter prince, before tapping his fist into his palm. “Ah, right! I was trying to find you so that I could ask if you would be willing to treat me to a match of  _ shogi _ sometime while I’m visiting. You mentioned it being similar to chess, so I couldn’t help my curiosity on the matter.”

Takumi pauses, surprised and attempting to process Leo’s words, before nodding quickly. “Ah, yes! Ah- you’re right, I promised to teach you how to play, but I never really got around to it… My apologies.” Takumi rubs the back of his neck in embarrassment. “Well… I’m free now, if that works for you?”

“As it just so happens,” Leo drawls, shooting Takumi a charming, reassuring smile, “I’ve completed all my duties for the day, so I’m free for the rest of the evening. So yes, it most definitely works for me- and I must say, I’m rather excited to learn from you. If it’s so much like chess… Hah. Well, you’ll have to watch your back.”

Takumi feels the heat spreading up from his neck towards his cheeks, can feel the telltale signs of an approaching “growth spurt”, but he manages to push it back down with a quick tensing of his shoulders and a stiff, courteous nod. He then returns Leo’s smirk- albeit cautiously. “Don’t think you’ve won before we even begin, Prince Leo. I’m also fairly skilled, as I’ve been told… so, heed your own advice and watch your own back instead of worrying about mine.~”

Leo’s eyes widen just a bit before a small golden laugh bubbles free from his soft lips, his face scrunching up in amusement. “Ohhh, do I sense a challenge? Well, you’re on- I never back down from a challenge, I’ll have you know!”

In an instant, Leo turns on his heel and beckons for Takumi to follow, a pep in his step as he leads the way back towards the main Hoshidan palace.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Takumi hums, but he doesn’t dare to say anything else as he follows behind Leo.

He’s already almost a foot taller than his standard height.

He’d rather not risk getting any taller, lest he draw Leo’s attention.

_ Sigh. _

\--

Only a few days later, the night is dimly lit by a bloated, sluggish moon and billions of stars, all twinkling in their rendition of a slow dance. The pale light is plenty enough to see by, especially for a certain Nohrian idling his way through entrancing rock gardens and several plants he is unfamiliar with. The whole area carries the weight of a feather, everything silent and misty like a dream. So when Leo’s eye catches on a tall shadow in the night, absurd as the thought is, he almost thinks that it’s a faerie, come to spirit him away without a trace.

And then the shadow shifts, a pale, curious face turning to look at him before a calm smile spreads across their scarred features.

“Oh, good evening, Lord Leo. A fancy, meeting you out here so late into the night.”

Leo squints, attempting to recall his memories of the last week or so, before hesitantly speaking up. “...And you are… Lady Reina, if my memory serves me?”

The kinshi knight dips her head, her body language ghosting at a curtsy. “Your memory does, indeed, serve you, though there is no need to give me such an elevated title, milord. ‘Reina’ will do just fine.”

She glances away from him for a moment, but in that moment, it’s clear that she’s seeing far into the distance, something so far away that Leo can’t even begin to imagine what she’s so longingly staring after.

“I am no longer a retainer, after all. Head of the kinshi knights I may be, but that will never compare to the honor I held in the past, serving alongside Her Majesty.”

Leo pauses, swallowing thickly. “I’m sorry.”

After a moment of silence as soft and light as the moonbeams around the two, Reina finally returns from whatever far-away vision she had been possessed by, meeting Leo’s eyes with a bittersweet smile.

“My dear, there is nothing to apologize for. What’s done is done, and the past cannot be changed.” She takes a steadying breath before continuing on. “What brings you out here tonight, Prince Leo? Couldn’t sleep?”

A simple nod from the prince elicits a more genuine smile from her. “As I imagined. Lady Mikoto had the same problem- particularly when she was burdened by her own thoughts. Tell me, young one… what is weighing on your mind?”

Leo looks at her, bewildered, before tentatively speaking up. “The… future, I suppose.”

“But that’s not your main concern right now, is it?”

Reina chuckles as Leo’s shoulders instinctively stiffen. “You’ll have to forgive my brusqueness, milord, but I have listened to the people dear to me on nights like this for decades… so fear not. You may get straight to the point of the matter.”

The Nohrian prince stammers before frowning, his lips pursing into a thin line. “...You’re right. I suppose the main thing on my mind right now is… well. Prince Takumi.” He swallows, wincing at how the name almost seems to burn his throat. “You’ve been around since his birth, yes? You know about the… curse?”

Reina raises an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. “I am aware, yes. How did  _ you _ learn of it?”

“It… well. It was an accident, really. I didn’t mean to startle him, but apparently he’d been avoiding me for a while, so I wouldn’t find out.” Leo bites his lip, glancing off to the side. “But he still continues to act differently, like he’s on-edge. I just… I want to demonstrate to him that he can trust me, because even though he’s shown me this ‘curse’ of his, I still feel as though there’s something he’s hiding from me.”

Reina looks Leo over critically before slowly smiling. “You care much for his well-being, don’t you?”

Leo blinks in surprise before frowning. “Well yes, but I don’t see how that-”

“And you do know that if you hurt him, by proxy of Lady Mikoto, I will smite you and laugh while doing so?”

An almost offended look crosses Leo’s face, his cheeks tinting red. “Wh- What, why in the name of the gods do you think I’d hurt him? Just because of some silly curse? It doesn’t make him any less my friend!”

The smile on Reina’s face grows, her eyes brightening, glinting like the moonlight off a silver blade. “That’s the correct answer, milord. Now, tell me… you wish to learn what he’s hiding from you, correct? Why do you want to do that?”

Leo’s brows furrow. “I… Well, I-” He pauses, collecting his thoughts. “I suppose it’s because I want to earn his trust. He always seems so alone, like… well, like I am. I find great enjoyment from his presence- and I would like to believe that the feeling is mutual- so I would like to… further our…” 

He trails off, wincing as he feels his cheeks warming to an uncomfortable temperature. “Ah, gods, that comes off as strange, doesn’t it…”

A small chuckle from Reina causes his head to dart up, meeting her gaze. “No, not strange at all. You two were drawn together out of a need for solace. You both needed company and someone to be yourself around… and good friends are truly a rarity these days. But you feel selfish for wanting more- because you and Prince Takumi both, raised in the shadows of your older siblings, have had to make so many sacrifices for the greater good… Does my judgement serve me, milord?”

Leo feels an odd chill run up his spine, his face heating up even further. A few stammered attempts at speech- but nothing coherent- escapes his lips for a good few seconds, but Reina waits patiently, a hint of a smirk on her lips.

“I- I mean…”

He pauses, chewing on his lip and glancing off to the side. “...I’d... say your judgement serves you well, Reina.”

Reina hums, her smile growing. “Excellent. Now, if it continues to serve me well… heed my advice. Go back to your quarters and collect your head. If you are still so determined to further your bond with Prince Takumi, and you desire to learn more about his situation… let him know your intentions, and ask him yourself.”

Leo blinks, startled. “But what if-”

“Ah, ah, ah. No ‘what if’s, milord. Things will work out, one way or another… I just implore you to be supportive.” Reina pauses, her eyes half-lidded. “He’s afraid of what you’ll think of him. Don’t let him down.”

“Wait what’s been…” Leo frowns, trailing off. “...I won’t let him down. I’ve seen very… odd things over the course of this war, and he’s still my close friend. He won’t push me away that easily.”

Reina nods in approval, a warm look in her eyes. “Good. Now, go. Get some rest. I trust you know the way back?”

Leo briefly pauses, eyeing the ground and taking everything- his surroundings, his swirling thoughts, his thudding heart- in. “Yes. I do.”

Another brief moment of silence, and the Nohrian prince turns around to head back.

“...Thank you, Lady Reina.”

The kinshi knight raises an eyebrow. “I thought I told you-”

“You’re still her retainer, you know.” He pauses to glance back at Reina, a tiny hint of a smile on his face. “And I never got the chance to meet Lady Mikoto, but I think she would be proud of your wisdom. It’s a precious trait to have, and I thank you for sharing it with me tonight.”

Reina’s eyes widen in surprise. Then she shakes her head, chuckling quietly. “Goodnight, milord Leo. I wish you the best of luck.”

The two meet eyes- amber on amethyst- and share a mutual nod of respect. Leo finally begins the journey back to his quarters, with Reina watching as he slips away into the milky shadows cast by the moonlight.

She sighs quietly, glancing up at the night sky before humming thoughtfully.

“Frankly, milady, I’m astonished at how these younglings can be so wise, yet so oblivious at the same time.”

\---

As Takumi weaves his way through the royal gardens, he frowns slightly, gnawing absentmindedly on his lip. Early this morning he had received a messenger from Leo, urging him to come into the gardens around noon, but that was it. The messenger hadn’t been told the purpose of the meeting, leaving Takumi’s imagination up in a twittering panic like a startled bird.

He’s sure it’s not something… well,  _ bad _ , per se, but why the mystery?

His head raises in surprise as he sees Leo in the distance, waving an arm to get Takumi’s attention. The Hoshidan prince quickens his pace, making his way over to where Leo is sitting, perched by a small stream trickling over rocks as smooth as mirrors.

“Good to see you could make it,” Leo hums. “I apologize for the last-minute notice.” He pats the ground beside him expectantly, and Takumi blinks before sitting down a few feet away from Leo’s side.

“No, you don’t have to apologize- but what did you need? The messenger said you never specified what our meeting here was for…”

Leo keeps his gaze on the stream, his prior confidence starting to tighten into an anxious knot- but he can’t stop now, not when he’s come this far.

“It’s because I wanted to speak to you, ah- personally.”

There’s an awkwardly-long pause and Leo glances up, realizing that Takumi is watching him expectantly, his brow raised.

“Okay, so. Uh.” Leo pauses, grimacing. “Takumi, I want you to know that you can trust me with anything-”

“If this is about the growing thing, drop it.”

Leo winces at being so abruptly cut off, but continues on. “No, it’s not just about that, but-”

“I said to drop it!”

“That’s not what I wanted to talk to you about, dammit! I wanted to say I love you, you idiot!”

Leo pauses, his mouth gaping slightly as his own words process through his head- and then he quickly covers his face, his cheeks flushing dark red. “Oh gods dammit-”

He suddenly glances up to look at Takumi, his eyes wide with anticipation and anxiety.

What he didn’t expect to see was that the Hoshidan prince had shot up about three feet or so, his mouth agape, his cheeks just as red as (if not darker than) Leo’s.

“...You… wait. R. Really…?”

Leo groans, running his hand over his face. “I meant to say it more eloquently, especially after that talk with Lady Reina, I just-”

“Wait, Reina, what?”

Leo groans louder, pressing his hands over his face. “It’s a long story, but. Long story short, if you’ll let me say this properly…”

He takes a deep breath before looking up at Takumi, having to tilt his head back a bit. “I wanted to say that I want you to trust me, because… frankly, I… I’ve enjoyed our time together, moreso than I have when being with other people. And I’ve tried to think it through, to convince myself my feelings were just imaginary, but,” he gives a weak shrug. “I… want more. I want to increase my bond with you. It’s selfish, I understand, but…”

Takumi sharply turns his head to the side and scoots away from Leo, his face and neck utterly flushed with color. “Oh-”

Leo finds that he has to tilt his head back uncomfortably in order to see Takumi properly- he’s shot up another two feet. He gets to his feet, an undeterred look on his face.

“I wanted to say that you’re one of the few people who I can relax around. You’re intelligent and… frankly, you’re one of the even rarer selection of people I feel I can be open with-”

“Leo-”

“And you’re handsome, truly, and it always makes me feel a sense of pride when I can get you to laugh or smile-”

“ _ Leo! _ ”

Leo winces, halting abruptly. His head is craned back even further to meet Takumi’s embarrassed gaze- sitting down, the Hoshidan prince is still a good fifteen feet taller than Leo.

“Takumi, I’m sorry if you don’t-”

“No. Shh.” Takumi groans, running his hands over his face. “I like you too. I just need a moment to compose myself, so I don’t get any bigger.”

Leo pauses before finally cracking a hesitant smile. “...I guess I kinda startled you with that, huh?”

Takumi sighs and nods, still covering his face. “I don’t think anything could have prepared me for that.”

“So, we’re… something now?”

“...We are definitely something.” Takumi huffs before slowly lowering his hands, taking a deep breath. “But now that we’re… something... I suppose you’re wondering why I wasn’t being completely honest with you about the curse.”

Leo raises an eyebrow. “It’d be nice to understand a bit better, but you don’t have to tell me if you’re not ready.”

“No, no, after… hah, that…  _ confession _ of yours, I should let you know.” Takumi takes a deep breath before continuing. “I don’t… grow when I’m startled, or anything like that. I just… kinda. Grow when I have feelings for people-? Romantic feelings, I mean, and I just- I just never thought anybody would be okay with  _ this _ ,” he quickly gestures at himself before speaking even more rapidly. “I didn’t think anybody would be okay with  _ me _ , but you didn’t run away or anything, or freak out, and then the feelings started getting worse, and I nearly busted a hole in my ceiling at night when I was thinking about you, and-”

Takumi pauses, blinking in surprise at the sounds of quiet, choked laughter coming from the smaller prince before him. “What-”

“Takumi, you’ll have to forgive me,” Leo chuckles before shooting a warm smile up at Takumi, “but I find that to be… really sweet, actually. And you’d have to be an idiot to think that something like that would make me dislike you- I’ve seen far weirder, I assure you.”

Takumi stares, wide-eyed, the flush returning to his cheeks.

And then a string of curses slips out as he darts up another five feet, a flustered and panicked look on his face.

Leo starts laughing once more- but this time he can’t stifle it. He doubles over with laughter, tears pricking his eyes, while Takumi stammers and tries to keep himself under control.

“It’s okay,” Leo assures in between laughing fits, “it’s okay, you’re alright- at least you’re not getting  _ short _ with me.”

“Gods dammit I hate you.”

Leo wheezes before shooting Takumi a sly smirk. “You and I both know that isn’t true.”

Takumi groans loudly, but Leo isn’t done there. The Nohrian prince pauses before stepping closer to Takumi, almost in sheer awe of his lover’s ( _ oh gods, that’s right, Takumi is his partner now- _ ) stature.

“...Takumi. Would you, ah… care to give me a boost?” Leo gestures at Takumi’s hand, and Takumi’s shoulders stiffen in surprise.

“I- what?”

“Just give me a lift so we can get a little closer to eye-level. My neck is starting to ache.”

Takumi opens his mouth to protest but then goes silent, instead slowly exhaling and offering his cupped hands to Leo. The Nohrian prince hums triumphantly as he manages to step into Takumi’s (admittedly shaky) palms before sitting down. Takumi pauses once more before carefully lifting Leo up to his face, a curious look in his eyes- he’s never really  _ held _ anyone before, just once or twice with his siblings- but that had been ages ago.

Leo gets back to his feet, wobbling a bit in the soft, unstable surface of Takumi’s hands, but he quickly regains his balance and takes a hesitant step forward.

Sensing his intention, Takumi’s hands almost move of their own accord, and he gulps as he brings Leo closer to his face.

It takes a few moments of awkward adjustment, but Leo finally leans forward and plants a kiss on Takumi’s upper lip, uncertainty melting into excitement.

Takumi shakily brushes his lips against Leo’s chest and abdomen in return, though he quickly pulls back when he shoots up another five feet or so, an embarrassed noise escaping his lips.

Leo stumbles onto his knees in Takumi’s hands with a quiet ‘oof’, blinking in surprise. “...That’s going to be… interesting, to get used to…”

“Gods, Leo, I’m so sorry-”

“Shh.” Leo smiles up at Takumi, leaning over to give the Hoshidan prince’s thumb a comforting pat. “You have nothing to apologize for. We’ll get better at this.”

As Takumi swallows thickly, in that moment, he notes that The Thing feels… different.

Sure, it had made his life difficult, and would continue to provide difficulty, but.

Wasn’t it also the thing that had made getting together with Leo possible? Or at least sped up the process, and… frankly, Takumi can’t find it in himself to consider The Thing as a curse, not right now. Not when he’s finally found someone who will accept him  _ and _ The Thing with welcoming arms.

For the first time in a long time, Takumi feels completely and utterly at ease- and he’s looking forward to the future with his new, dear partner.


End file.
